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This is a flawed ring. *Co-Champs* https://twitter.com/chrisp_15/status/882687278757408769

Is it common practice to  give out conference championship rings; or is Oakland  showing us that it's a small-time  school again?

Stop the speculation about this guy. None of you know Diddly about him, good or bad.

We as fans may not know much about him but simple research the following:


1. He's from Chicago and has experience both as a head coach and  assistant there. That means the notion that he has strong ties to the recruiting scene there is probably true, or at least not far-fetched


2. His time with Loyola gave him experience with a program in our same position (transitioning from the Horizon League to the Missouri Valley) No doubt he has wisdom and insights to share that will help Valpo get the most out of these critical first few years in the conference.  This will help  speed up our adjustment period , smooth out our transition, and keep the program's momentum moving forward.


3. Loyola made strides in recruiting and on the court during his time there, and while the move to the Missouri Valley was probably the biggest reason for this, it seems certain that his impact was greater than zero or Missouri wouldn't have bothered hiring him even in their state of disarray 


4. His experience at the  P5 level that he gained at Mizzou may open up scheduling opportunities and is a selling point to recruits. He also  likely knows the  caliber of athlete that fits at each kind of school  and may help us pull in some recruits that are between P5 and mid major level


We don't know exactly what he will bring but there is a lot to like on his resume. We should be excited about this hire and be more than willing to give Coach Dildy a chance.

Any idea as to when game to be played? I'd also like to see us get an A10 opponent if possible. Maybe a home and home series. Perhaps now as an MVC member that is more a possibility....

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I remember reading somewhere that VCU and possibly Richmond were looking for home and homes with a top 75 school (we fit that bill) I wonder if they're still looking or if we're in talks with them. I also remember someone speculating that we would play someone from the ACC. They said it would be part of an MTE, but we're already playing in Savannah. Maybe it's a connecting game to our time out there. Georgia Tech Clemson and Florida State wouldn't be too terribly far. One thing's for sure the more I hear about this schedule the more excited I become. It's shaping up to be a really strong one.Hope ML and the coaching staff keep up the good work!

Anybody else notice that we will have a lot of games in common with Loyola ? I don't know if this was by design but it's smart. With the Ramblers projected to be as strong as they are,  it should help our metrics should our team mature faster than expected and we find ourselves in the mix for an at-large.

Number of Motor City Madness Victories: 0

I think this tells the real story.  Oakland had good seasons the past 2 years, but when the league tourney rolled around, they choked like dogs.  It's easy to win games in January and February, but winning games that count in March takes something special ... clear that Oakland doesn't have what it takes.

In fairness that number matches Valpo's but at least we haven't put up that o-fer in our own back yard in front of thousands of our fans at a tourney site we supposedly begged for . That number is far more embarrassing for Oakland than it is for us, even when the counter-argument of "as the conference's best team  you should win regardless " is taken into account.

Rumor has it that the Suns are going to pursue Blake Griffin. That certainly wouldn't help AP find minutes as a rookie. Hopefully that signals a sea change in the organization and they line up some trades for stars that will allow Alec to assume a role off the bench in Phoenix, or perhaps somewhere else.

Scratch that. Sounds like Griffin is staying in LA.

Heard a rumor that Samford (SoCon) is scheduled to play Valpo at the ARC next season. Anyone else heard this? I'm trying to confirm it and see if its true. Not a bad game at all. Samford was 20-16 (Conf: 8-10) last season. Beat an A10 team in SLU last season (they weren't great last year) & they played Florida State (very good team) last season and hung in tough against them 76-68. They'll be a heavy senior team next season.

Very good game if true. Hope you're right.

And there you prove my point , I compared it to academic  fraud, but no one wants to talk about that. Right.  (Take the path of the kid who drank, but we won't discipline him until we play a non d-1 because that will teach him good Christian values.)And it was far reaching too. People here know more about it then your own fans. The kid at Clemson will miss games next year because of it. You got lucky because the "others"involved  had graduated.  But I'm sure you think the NCAA has something against Valpo. Yea, they do, you won a championship with a group of guys that cheated in a class. It's ok though. The teams in this league are jealous of you. Ok. You will Answer this by trying to tear down Oakland. That will make you feel good about your little world. Like that matters. Also your right, I don't rep the other Oakland fans. Nothing about this is about Oakland to me.

Still waiting on an answer to my questions. Your silence is deafening. It screams out that you've got nothing and aren't interested in rational  discussion. I will  ask you one more time and should you choose to address these questions I ask that you stick to substance and not move the goalpost. Don't talk about values, or the criminality of athletes, or anything else,  just facts related to the discussion.


1. Do you believe that the Horizon League that Oakland joined was a better league than the one that Valpo joined.


2. If not, do you believe that Oakland would have posted better results than Valpo did if they had joined the HL when Valpo joined?


You want us to stop being so delusional and not to resort to name-calling and school-bashing, and I am trying to deal with you on that level. Here's your chance, now stop dodging and answer. Let's have a discussion free of anger, hatred, and vitriol. Are you here to debate and discuss, or simply to troll and stir the pot? Let's see.

Grizz, you can't blast a departing team's resume and then ask that we not attack Oakland's which is vastly inferior even to newer league members. Why don't you address some of these facts in my post and answer my questions?

1. Do you honestly believe that the league Oakland entered is better than the one Valpo entered ?
2. If not, Do you believe Oakland's results in that league would be any better than Valpo's in their first four years?

Butler was great , we were good , what does that make Oakland, assuming it can hang with NKU?

Two more  questions:Do you  honestly believe that the league Oakland entered  is better thean the league Valpo entered?

And if not  Do you honestly think that Oakland would have done any better than Valpo in that league?

Rumor has it that the Suns are going to pursue Blake Griffin. That certainly wouldn't help AP find minutes as a rookie. Hopefully that signals a sea change in the organization and they line up some trades for stars that will allow Alec to assume a role off the bench in Phoenix, or perhaps somewhere else.

Cool story bro. Here's some more numbers for you :

Number of NCAA Tournament bids for Oakland since joining the HL: 0

Number of outright conference titles: 0

Average NCAA seed: Sorry, data not found

I'll say this again Number of top 100 RPI seasons for Oakland since joining the HL: 0

Number of top 25 victories : 0

Number of Motor City Madness Victories: 0

Let's also remember the league we joined was top 12 in KenPom and  currently down and awful programs like Milwaukee  Cleveland State  Wright State were a heck of a lot better than they are now AND we had to compete with Butler at the height of their power with a legendary coach, a lottery pick , and multiple NBA players on their roster. The league we entered and the one you entered don't even inhabit the same universe. Had you stepped into THAT Horizon League , not the one ambling toward the  20s in conference ranking  and struggling to outdo the Summit League, there's no way  Oakland even sniffs 45-23 unless it's a halftime score and you're the team trailing  They probably would have done even worse than Valpo and would have struggled to  fill the  vacuum created by Butler's departure.

I've said this before and I'll say it again : Oakland  has done less for the Horizon League and its profile in basketball than Northern Kentucky . Maybe you should focus on becoming a better program than them first.

Congratulations on (potentially) taking the mantle of the  Horizon League by attrition At least we started our run while Butler was still in the league. Hopefully you can change some of these numbers before IUPUI gets a bid. The Golden Grizzlies are officially on the  clock, and  remember  The Atlantic 10 (a conference a Detroit reporter has said your school thinks it's too good for) is watching  as the winds of realignment begin to blow. How embarrassing would it be to go from invited to not even considered in just a few short years?)

Yeah sad but also little funny lol, especially to see some of the folks that said "Screw Valpo we're better off without them". Do they miss us yet? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmHZj2xImRo

With all due respect, who cares if they miss us? These are the same fan bases that call us "stupid and delusional"and constantly disrespected us even though we constantly kicked their butts on the court. Multiple boards have said they're glad we're gone. If that's the way they feel , then fine. So long and thanks  for all the conference titles over the past ten years. I don't miss the HL at all and look forward to our future in the MVC. I look forward to joining a league without  consistent RPI anchors, a league that won't hurt our chances at an at-large, a league that cares about academics, and , most importantly, a league where the fanbases actually care. Finally, we will get true road tests in authentic road atmospheres; no more games in the 75% empty caverns most of the HL schools called home.

Can't think of another situation where a college team that has had seven straight losing seasons and just a single NCAA appearance in its history (14 years ago) fell upwards like this, save for maybe Rutgers, and even they had experienced some semi-recent success in football. But you do you, Horizon League.

In fairness, who were they going to add? Grand Canyon and New Mexico State were hoping to use the HL as a catapult to a bigger league (WCC & CUSA respectively). Omaha and Fort Wayne are broke. RMU cares more about hockey than any sport the HL sponsors. Murray, EKU, and Belmont had no interest. As best I can tell, that left you with IUPUI, Lipscomb, and UMKC. Not much there when you break it down. What I would find wildly entertaining is the Summit replacing IUPUI with GCU and/or NMSU. That would firmly place it above the Horizon and send the HL fan forum (and Jimmy's twitter into complete chaos). Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This move actually makes more geographic sense than moving those schools to the Horizon League  and is a scenario I have pondered as well . With Valpo now out of the Horizon League and the Summit now losing one of its main RPI anchors could we see GCU and NMSU consider a move to the Summit if it again grades out ahead of the Horizon? Furthermore  could Jimmy be onto something with his thought that the Western Horizon League schools should contact the Summit? The HL teams may have a higher profile, a better media deal , and perhaps a higher ceiling ; but if current trends hold, that won't always be the case. 

As for Fort Wayne, their financial situation is precisely why a move to the Horizon League is ideal. More regional schools with greater name recognition should boost attendance and they'll save a fortune on travel not having to go any further from home than Green Bay. Furthermore they are a baseball school and a strong enough program to potentially tip the balance of basketball power back toward the Horizon League. If they had been the add instead of IUPUI, I would have bet that the HL had just pulled itself back ahead of the Summit League pending what NMSU and GCU do.

It's starting to look like the HL is replacing us with IUPUI...the HL board seems about ready for a serious mental breakdown. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It's starting to look like the HL is replacing us with IUPUI...the HL board seems about ready for a serious mental breakdown.


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It's even better than I thought...now Jimmy wants UWM to join the Summit League!

https://twitter.com/pantheru/status/878078674939129856

What an offseason it's been for him. Here's a timeline:


Valpo to MVC rumors surface: We don't need Valpo The league will be just fine without them


Milwaukee also considered for MVC; Yay! Please happen! Spends considerable time lobbying  (begging?) for Milwaukee to get an invite


Milwaukee passed over by MVC: It's okay The HL will get all the best candidate schools and be a great conference again! We should all band together to make Valpo regret their decision  (said after literally begging for an MVC invite for his school)


IUPUI invited to join HL: Come on other schools Let's go join the Summit!


Does this guy have a position regarding the Horizon League he's willing to stick to ,or is he simply going in whichever direction the wind blows? He can't have it both ways: either the Horizon League is a decent league that had a bad year| a few bad years or it's a declining league destined for low major permanent one bid league status. So, which is it?

Great article on the Missouri Valley Conference detailing the attitudes of the remaining member institutions in light of the departure of Wichita State. Much of what is written here really resonates with my own thoughts on the Valley and helps explain why I'm bullish on the future of the conference.

http://www.pjstar.com/sports/20170624/missouri-valley-has-what-it-takes-without-wichita-state

I see that 10 of the 60 draftees are international players not affiliated with a D-1 college program. That said, I think it's noteworthy that Alec wasn't among the top 100 players in his class coming out out of high school, and here he is 4 years later 1 of the top 50 players in all of college basketball. That's a very rare feat.

And a testament to the very same unteachable intangibles that made him a team leader, got him drafted, and will ensure that he sticks in the NBA. 

Perhaps you've seen it by now, but I believe VUGrad1314's speculation will prove correct about Terry Johnson following Butler's announcement that Jordan is returning to the Bulldogs as HC.  Not good news for Milwaukee.

Confirmed. Butler's whole staff is following Holtmann to Ohio State. Boy, the terrible timing of Ohio State's decision to fire Matta has created a major mess and big headaches for multiple programs now. Only way to make things worse would be for Otzelberger to take the Milwaukee job and throw South Dakota State into turmoil as well with even less time to react than Butler and Milwaukee had. As Michael Caine said in "The Dark Knight" "Some men just want to watch the world burn."
http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/butler/2017/06/13/butler-losing-entire-coaching-staff-ohio-state/392193001/

Do you mean a team like Boston and Brad S.?  It seems like they would fill the bill on that.

Boston is a team with a lot depth right now, so maybe he wouldn't get the opportunity there right away.

I think wherever he lands he will be hard pressed for minutes on any roster. Probably a 2nd pick & he will be coming off the injury. Should want to find a roster where the offensive system and opportunity is available to him.

Unfortunately it's a little out of his hands on where he gets drafted. 76ers feel like a solid fit, jazz, bulls, to name a few. It would be interesting to hear where his agents want him to land.

It's going to come down to fit/opportunity for Alec unless he gets picked in the 1st rnd with his guaranteed contract, which in that case he would have more job security b/c the team would be more invested in him bc they used a 1st end pick on him. 2nd rnd contracts aren't guaranteed and teams generally are quicker to release 2nd rnd picks or stash them in the D-League.

Boston is also a team that seems poised to undergo a great deal of roster overhaul in the coming years as they begin to make the trades and signings necessary to compete for titles with Cleveland and Golden State. Much of their current depth may be on the way out in consolidation trades for a star or stars. Peters could absolutely find a role in Boston from day one because if there's one thing the Celtics lack, it's rebounding. Additionally, a polished senior with a skillet that makes him a perfect NBA roleplayer with the potential to be more would be very attractive to teams aspiring to contend. The Jazz do seem like a decent fit and the Bulls with their desperate need for shooting would be a great fit. Not a fan of the fit in Philadelphia, too many players at his position for him to get meaningful minutes. I remember hearing some speculation that the Pacers might be interested. 

Just thinking out loud. Do you think either former Butler Assistant Coaches Ryan Pedon & Terry Johnson would be interested the potentially still available assistant coaching position if Holtmann doesn't take them with to Ohio State or if they don't remain on the Butler Staff.

Pedon is already on his way to Columbus, as previously stated, and zero chance on Johnson to Valpo. From what I've read on him , he sounds like a lifer. He's been there a decade, seems to love his job, and is extremely well respected by the players. I only see three ways he leaves Butler: 1. He follows Holtmann to Columbus 2. He takes a job as a HC somewhere else or 3. He follows LaVall as an assistant  to his new job if and when a P5 school poaches him (possibly Michigan ).

I think this could be a potential reason for the delay : the negotiations with other conferences  (such as the Summit League) as landing spots for men's tennis and swimming and diving I completely forgot about this piece of our realignment puzzle. With this important item of business concluded, I would expect all vacancies within the staff to be filled in short order. Been a busy offseason for our AD, and I , for one, appreciate the work he's done to elevate the profile of Valpo Athletics and give students, staff, alumni, and the community myriad reasons to be proud! Thanks ML!

http://www.thesummitleague.org/general/2016-17/releases/20170612lqb87e

I enjoy watching the Warriors play quite a bit and watching their loss to the Cavs on Friday, I thought Alec Peters would be a great fit on the Warriors.  Fundamentally sound, great passer and catcher and can knock down an open shot.

I think Alec's skill set would be a great fit in most teams offensive schemes these days. The NBA game is pace & space and being able to stretch the floor. He can hit 3's and is a very underrated rebounders.

He'd be a great fit in Chicago too in Fred Hoiberg's "offense" (the Bulls front office hasn't give him any players that fit his offense in the time he's been there. Butler is great, other then that they have an overpard & washed up Dwayne Wade, & about 4 PG's that are terrible shooters). Nikola Mirotic isn't going to be resigned and the Bulls could try Alec in the same stretch 4 role, but Alec actually would be willing to attempt to play Defense and grab boards which Niko struggle to achieve in his time with Bulls.

I feel like for Alec it will be more important about finding a team that is a good fit rather then being drafted the highest pick possible.

I agree. I think going to a team with a strong culture and a chance to win matters most to him. His decision to stay at Valpo last offseason shows that.

This may be off topic or already discussed. When the Valley was at the top or near the top of mid-major conferences, why didn't their leadership go get Butler?  Could they have gotten the Bulldogs?  I think Butler in the MVC was a better fit than Butler in the A10.

Same reason Murray State wasn't added this time: a reluctance to go to an 11 team schedule, adherence to the double round robin, and I would add a perceived lack of need to do so since the Valley was already a consistent multi bid league. I don't think schools were all that eager to leave the Horizon League back then either as it was a great, highly competitive mid-major league just a notch below the Valley. Remember, this was a time when Cleveland State, Wright State, Milwaukee, and even UIC were much better than they are now.


Realignment for basketball reasons didn't really become a thing until recently as most decisions have been driven by football. Without the football-centric move that fractured the Big East and created the American, Creighton, Butler, Wichita State, Loyola, Valpo, VCU, George Mason, and much of the old Conference USA and Sun Belt to name several examples aren't in the conferences they are in today. Some of these moves, like Butler to the A10 and possibly the A10's decision take on VCU and George Mason, likely still occur without football , but most do not . 

I have a friend who applied. Who received an email several weeks ago that the job was filled. Not sure if they were being polite, since I saw it still listed at valpo.edu/hr or if it is already filled and just hasn't been announced for whatever reason.

That's very strange. Why wait to make that announcement? Afraid it would get buried amid all the press Valpo is getting for its move to the Valley? If that's the case then I would expect an announcement pertaining to this position sometime next week

This is starting to worry me as well. Recruiting starts back up again in just over a month.I know it's been a busy offseason with scheduling and the conference change but we really need to get that position filled soon especially with the orientation\acclimation meetings with the MVC coming in July as well Now that the dust has settled with the conference move and the fanfare has died down, filling staff vacancies needs to be priority #1 these next 2-3 weeks.

UNI just released their Non-Conference Schedule. A very strong Non-Conference.

How the heck did they manage to get a home game with Xavier!? We would kill to have Big East schools come play at the ARC.

https://twitter.com/UNImbb/status/873162765963108352

Now that we're in the Valley too that just might start happening Not saying it's likely but at least we've got a shot at seeing it now if we establish ourselves as a consistent top contender in the conference. Even Indiana State got Butler to play them in Terre Haute so I wouldn't be terribly surprised to see it happen at all.